Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has been pressed to explain the hasty move of the Selangor government in handing over land valued at RM1.18 billion in Ijok to two companies in 2016.

Barisan Nasional (BN) Strategic Communications director Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the action was questioned as the High Court and Appeal Court had ruled in favour of the state government in 2013 and 2014 in the case of taking over state government land from two companies, Mujur Zaman Sdn Bhd and LBCN Development Sdn Bhd.

Abdul Rahman who is also the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department questioned Azmin’s justifications in not waiting for the Federal Court decision considering the Selangor state government had already won at the High Court and Appeal Court earlier.

“Why is Azmin making the decision in a hurry when it would be to the detriment of the Selangor government and residents.

“If Azmin’s intention was to settle claims and compensation of settlers, why is he not selling the land directly to a public company and use the proceeds of the sale amounting to RM1.18 billion to pay the compensation,” he told a media conference.

In November last year, several non-governmental organisations had lodged reports with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to call for investigations on the Selangor government for giving away the land to the two companies.

In 2008, the Selangor government under the then menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had seized the government land of about 880 hectares owned by the two companies for infringing the terms and conditions of an agreement.

Abdul Rahman said the Selangor government under BN leadership had given the land to almost 1,000 settlers in Ijok, Selangor in 1998 and allowed Mujur Zaman and LBCN Development to develop the land including housing as well as financial compensation to settlers.

According to him, after 10 years, the housing project and compensation cash were not met by the companies causing Khalid to confiscate the land for violating conditions of the National Land Code.

Among them were not paying land premium, not converting the agriculture land use into housing as well as not paying land conversion premium.

He said both companies later sued the state government and Khalid at the High Court to recover the land.

“But when Azmin became Menteri Besar and before the Federal Court could hear the case appeal, Mujur Zaman and LBCN Development and several other related companies signed an agreement with a public company to sell the land at RM1.18 billion on the condition the companies obtained approval from the Selangor government in Sept 2015,” he said.

Abdul Rahman said Azmin’s action was very suspicious as on May 17 2016, he had filed a settlement agreement with the Federal Court that the Selangor government and Mujur Zaman and LBCN Development had agreed to strike out the case and Azmin also made a drastic decision to hand over the land to the two companies.

Several days later, Azmin announced compensation payment to all 980 settlers in the form of RM180,000 cash and a house valued at RM250,000, making the total compensation payout at RM421.4 million.

“I would like to ask Azmin, where has the final sum gone to. The land is worth RM1.18 billion and compensation to settlers came up to RM421.4 million. Where is the balance of RM758.6 million and why was the settlers paid compensation promised 20 years ago when the value of the land had risen. Where is the money,” he said.

Therefore, Abdul Rahman is questioning whether Khairuddin Abdul Hasan who was the former executive directors of both companies played a role in influencing Azmin’s decision to withdraw from the case and return the land to the companies.

Khairuddin was declared a bankrupt in 2014.

According to him, if the Federal Court ruled in favour of the Selangor state government on the land seizure, the value of RM1.18 billion would be channeled to the state government and the funds could be used for the benefit of Selangor residents.-15/2/2018